Happy, Healthy and Safe 4th of July!

Here we are, already to our national celebration of the 4th of July! Its Independence Day for all of us to enjoy with our families and friends. Now thats a loaded word, independence! Hows this for a definition; free from the influence, guidance, or control of another, others or somethings in your life. Is it possible to live completely independent lives and not be influenced by the bad things? I bet there are a number of things that each of us wish we could get ourselves independent from. Could you, would you be able to become independent from eating fatty foods, from being sedentary, from drinking alcohol, from watching too much T.V., from smoking, from being in an unhealthy relationship, from addictions, etc. Maybe this should be the holiday where we make new resolutions and make certain changes in our lives towards becoming more independent from those bad health and lifestyle habits! This is just a thought Im having as I work on this 4th of July article.

Here are Four - 4th of July facts and healthy reminders to help you survive the holiday!

Fact #1: Did you know that the 4th of July is the biggest beer drinking holiday of the year. There is more beer sold on and around this holiday that any other holiday, its a true fact that I found on a government statistic sight. Wow, so while you celebrate this holiday Id like to encourage you to be smart, safe and to drink responsibly. Typically the 4th brings along barbecuing outside on a hot grill, playing with fireworks, increased eating and socializing with good and not-so-good friends. So be careful and dont play with anything that alcohol might make very dangerous to your health and body!

Fact #2: Did you know that the 4th of July is the busiest day of the year for eye surgeons and others who treat accidental trauma injuries. There are about 8500 fireworks related injuries each year in the US and 2000 of these injuries are eye injuries. One-third of these injuries cause permanent eye damage and one-fourth cause vision-loss or blindness. The most dangerous fireworks are bottle rockets, because they fly erratically and often cause injuries to bystanders. The bottles and cans used to launch bottle rockets often shatter and shower fragments of glass and metal everywhere. Sparklers cause three quarters of the injuries to pre-schoolers because they find them irresistible and want to hold them and touch them.

So be smart and follow these simple guidelines this 4th. Never allow kids to play with fireworks (including sparklers) without being supervised by a responsible adult. View public fireworks from a minimum of 500 to a quarter of a mile distance. Respect safety barriers set up by the pyrotechnicians and if you find an unexploded firework, dont touch it. Remember that firework injuries can be devastating and they are preventable.

Fact #3: Its barbecue day and with all those grills firing up, comes all the fixings and wonderful side dishes that are not low in fat and calories. So you need to treat this holiday like you do any other holiday where the celebrating is centered around eating. Keep in mind that you dont need to over eat! Take reasonable portions on your plate and try to refrain from going back for seconds, thirds or more. Plan your strategy, to burn off a few more calories than normal on that day or the next day. It is a holiday, so enjoy the day and all the food and get back to your normal eating patterns on Sunday.

Fact #4: Are you worried about the cancer-causing compounds that are caused by barbecuing? A couple of tips to reduce this is to try to minimize how long the meat you cook remains on the grill by pre-cooking indoors prior to finishing on the grill, also not eating any of the charbroiled pieces of the meat. There is evidence that marinating your meat can reduce the cancer-causing compounds by acting like a barrier to the carcinogens entering the meat. Leaner cuts of meat, trimmed from their extra fat are also ways to reduce this problem.

I hope you have a healthy, happy and fun 4th of July!

 

Deborah Holmes

June 30, 2009